The Mechanic and the Frog
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: Based off "The Princess and the Frog". Winry Rockbell has been working her butt off all her life to save enough money to start her own automail shop. When Prince Edward of Xerxes messes with a Voodoo witch doctor and turns into a frog, he hops into her life and accidentally turns her into one, too! Now it's a desperate quest to become human again, all while trying to stay alive.
1. Resembool

**As many of you may or may not know, I am a Disney fangirl. I've been a fan of Disney and its movies ever since I was a little kid—in fact, the first movie I remember watching was** _ **Bambi**_ **(yep, scarred for life at age 3).**

 **That being said, I'm surprised it's taken me this long to write a story based off a Disney movie. This one is one of my absolute favorites:** _ **The Princess and the Frog**_ **. I already worked out the majority of the cast, but rather than post the list, I'll reveal it as I go to save time and space. Just know this is an EdWin fic, so you can probably guess the leads right off the bat.**

 **I AM NOT INCLUDING SONGS BECAUSE PEOPLE GET BUTTHURT OVER ME TRANSCRIBING THEM.**

 **Another personal note I'd like to make is that, yes, I have been to New Orleans. No, I have** _ **not**_ **been to Mardi Gras, but based on the amount of Mardi Gras beads that are in my house, you wouldn't guess that; they're from my grandmother and my mother, both of whom have attended Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Beignets are delicious balls of dough and powdered sugar. And King Cake is the absolute best. Jazz played on the street in New Orleans is beautiful, and I normally don't care for jazz! Also, my sister might be into voodoo…**

 **Enough talk.**

 _ **OWTF**_ **!**

* * *

Deep in Southeastern Amestris, there was a town on the river called Resembool. It was a large town, known for three things: music, food, and automail. As a result, it was a melting pot of people from all walks of life, hoping to make their way in the crazy world they lived in.

One of those girls was a wide-eyed dreamer named Winry Rockbell.

Winry was the daughter of the two best doctors in town, and she often went with them on visits to their patients and suppliers of medicine. That was how she met her best friend, Mei Chang, the younger half-sister of the heir to the Xing Apothecary Company, Ling Yao.

On one such occasion, Pinako Rockbell, Winry's grandmother, watched the two while their parents were discussing supplies. She worked on a flower crown for Mei while she told them the story of "The Frog Prince".

"…and they lived happily ever after," Pinako finished, placing the flower crown on Mei's head.

"That was so cute!" Mei squealed.

"I would never, ever, ever kiss a frog!" Winry declared.

"Is that so?" Mei asked, grabbing her cat, Buttermilk, and putting a frog mask on him. "Well, here's your Prince Charming, Winry! Kiss him!"

"EEP!" Winry squealed.

The cat managed to get away, but Pinako took the mask off.

"Girls, stop tormenting this poor little kitty!" she sighed. "Poor thing."

"Hello, Mrs. Rockbell!" Mei's father greeted the old woman.

"Daddy!" Mei called. "Look at my crown! Isn't it pretty?!"

"Yes, it is!" Ling, Mei's brother, agreed, a big smile on his face.

"Thank you for watching her, Mrs. Rockbell," Mr. Yao told Pinako.

"It wasn't any trouble. Let's go, Winry."

Pinako, Winry, and Winry's parents all headed back to the house, where Winry started tinkering with an automail arm Pinako had left on the kitchen table. Sarah, Winry's mother, smiled as she looked at her daughter.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Fixing this arm," Winry replied.

"Don't disturb your grandma's work, sweetheart," Yuri laughed.

"Oh, no, she's a big help," Pinako said, coming into the kitchen. "She's got an eye and a passion for it. I have no doubt she'll be an engineer someday."

"You really think so?" Winry asked excitedly.

"Our little girl's got a gift, Sarah!" Yuri declared, lifting Winry into the air.

That night, Winry looked out her window, dreaming of the automail shop she'd have someday, when she spotted the 'Wishing Star'. She held her trusty wrench close to her chest and closed her eyes.

"Please, please, please, please…" she whispered. Her eyes landed on a frog that was sitting on her windowsill. She stared at it for a moment before it croaked, making her scream and run out of her room.

* * *

 _TEN YEARS LATER…_

Winry sighed as she walked through the door, dropping a little change into her savings jars.

"Well, Winry, rough night for tips, but every little cens counts," she whispered to herself. She glanced at a picture of her parents and smiled sadly. "Don't worry, Mom and Dad. I'll get there, soon." She turned to her bed and flopped down as she fell asleep. Almost immediately, her alarm clock started going off. She turned it off with her foot and got out of bed. She opened her closet and picked out a fresh shirt and coveralls.

"Good night, Garfiel's," she muttered. "Good morning, Duke's."

She ran out the door just in time to catch the trolley to Rush Valley, the automail section of Resembool. It was where all the automail shops are located, and that was where Winry applied her skills to earn enough to open her own shop. With so much traffic around the area, there were also a couple of diners. While she worked evenings in Garfiel's Automail, during the day, she worked in one of the more popular diners. She had good cooking skills she'd learned from her granny, which helped make the diner more popular and helped her earn more tips.

* * *

However, in Resembool, not everybody was a hardworking, hopeful automail engineer. No, Resembool tended to attract the rich and the eccentric, too. And the insane. Just that morning, a man by the name of Solf J. Kimblee was conning a bald man into buying a hair tonic. It worked a little too well, turning the hapless customer into a furry monster as Kimblee flipped his money into a pocket. Kimblee watched around the corner, however, as Ling Yao, the mayor, came by in his fancy car with his sister. He glared and began formulating a plan.

Also in the city that day was a prince from the land of Xerxes, Edward Elric. He stood on the deck of the ship he'd arrived on, letting everybody snap all the pictures they wanted. His servant, a little shit named Envy, was right behind him, carrying two suitcases. Ed tossed his hat to the crowd, glad to be rid of it as crazed fangirls pounced on it. He followed a group of street musicians past Duke's café, where he saw a pretty blonde girl picking up cups.

"Hey," he greeted her flirtatiously.

"Hmmph," she huffed, turning away. He shrugged and kept walking.

* * *

Inside Duke's, Winry continued serving all the customers she could as Cornello, the cook, hit the bell repeatedly. She put out the orders as fast as she could, just as Ling entered the restaurant.

"Good morning, Winry," he greeted her. "How about—"

"Beignets, hot out of the oven," she said, putting a plate in front of her.

"Oh!" He clapped his hands happily. "You are truly a goddess! Keep them coming!" Winry let out a laugh.

Suddenly, the door to the diner flew open as Mei entered.

"WINRY!" she squealed. "WINRY! WINRY!"

"Whoa, what's got you so excited?!" Winry asked.

"Prince Edward Elric of Xerxes is coming to Resembool!" Mei's eyes were full of stars. "And Ling invited him to our ball tonight, to mark the start of Festival Amestris!"

"That's great, Mei!"

"The only problem is, what if he doesn't like me?" Mei sank into a chair. Winry smiled as she walked over with another plate of beignets.

"Well, my grandma always says the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"THAT'S IT!" Mei grabbed one of the beignets. "I'm gonna need about two hundred of these for the ball tonight!" She reached into her purse and pulled out two handfuls of bills. "Will this cover it?"

"Yeah!" gasped Winry as she counted the money in her head. "This should cover it just fine!" She let out a cheer. "I'M GETTING MY AUTOMAIL SHOP!"

"AND I'M GETTING MY PRINCE!" Mei cheered.

"AND I'M HOPEFULLY GETTING MORE BEIGNETS!" Ling added.

* * *

"Edward!"

Ed turned to see Envy standing behind him. The small servant was still holding the suitcases from earlier; evidently, he had spent his time trying to keep up with Edward.

"Hey, Envy!" Ed greeted him.

"We were supposed to be at the Yao mansion an hour ago! I've been looking for you _everywhere_!"

"What a coincidence. I've been _avoiding_ you everywhere."

"Can you _please_ take this seriously?!"

"I am, I am. I just thought we'd look around a bit first."

"Sir!" Envy facepalmed.

"Hello, there," a voice said from the shadows. They turned to see a tall, thin man in a white suit with a matching fedora. "Welcome to Resembool! My name is Kimblee." He handed a card to Edward, who took it.

" 'Tarot Readings, Charms, and Potions,' " Ed read aloud. " 'Dreams made real.' "

"Follow me, gentlemen!" The two followed Kimblee down a dark alleyway, where he opened a door to a small shop. Over the door, it said, 'Solf J. Kimblee: Voodoo Master'.

"Wow," Ed breathed. Envy rolled his eyes.

"This guy's a fake, Your Highness," Envy whispered into Ed's ear. "We should get out of here before things go south."

"HEY!" Kimblee growled. "I am _anything_ but fake, you little twat."

"Why, I ought to—" Ed stepped in between the two before things could escalate.

"We're interested in seeing what you can tell us, Mr. Kimblee," Ed said.

"Right this way!"

The two entered and a shadow threw Envy and Kimblee's hats onto a hat-rack in the corner. Kimblee smirked as the two foreigners took seats at his table. He extended his tarot cards, and each of them took three cards.

"Now, you, Prince Edward, are from across the sea, in Xerxes. You come from two prestigious lines of royalty, but your parents cut you off for being a playboy. Now you have to get marry an heiress to have the money you once had, but you don't want to get married. You just want to be free and… _hop_ from place to place. But freedom takes green, and in your future, I see green."

"Load of baloney," snorted Envy.

"Now, as for you, little shit, you've been pushed around all your life, by your brothers and your father and your sister. And, if _you_ were married, you'd be pushed around by your wife. In your future, though, the you _I_ see is the you you've always wanted to be."

Ed suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He glanced at Envy, who was staring at the last card with a malicious grin.

"Now, shake my hand, gentlemen, and we'll begin our deal."

Envy and Ed each shook one of Kimblee's hands, and Kimblee smirked. Suddenly, crazy voodoo magic started happening. Colorful smoke and lights filled the room as snakes erupted from the ground and tied Ed to his chair. He tried to escape as Kimblee used a talisman to prick his finger. Ed was surrounded by what can only be described as colorful clouds of plasma and light as he shrunk down. Envy stared in shock.

"I hope you're satisfied," Kimblee chuckled. "If you're not, blame my friends on the other side."

* * *

"Thank you, Mr. Yogi! I'll sign the papers tonight at the costume ball!"

Winry smiled as Yogi took the 'For Sale' sign from in front of the building, along with his much-larger companion, Scar. She felt nothing but joy as she looked at the building. It was rundown, dusty, old, had cracked and broken windows, and trash littered the ground outside.

It was the most beautiful building she'd ever seen.

"One arm, please," a voice said. Winry turned to see her granny there, holding a toolbox and a medical bag. "Little things to help you get started."

"Your toolbox… and Dad's medical bag?"

"Every automail engineer worth their salt can patch up wounds as well as metal. Now, go on and open the door."

Winry smiled widely as she threw open the door. Pinako shook her head with a smile as she looked around. Her granddaughter had a lot of work to do.

"Over there will be the surgery area. My workbench will go there, and I'll store parts in this area. Oh! And I'll add a big waiting room, too!"

"You're your parents' daughter, all right. They wanted to open a clinic in this building."

"Well, time to get started!"

The two spent the afternoon cleaning up the old warehouse, chucking out garbage and sweeping up dust. Winry was the happiest she'd been in ages, and Pinako couldn't help but feel that same energy as they worked. They made a lot of progress, and at the end of the afternoon, Winry headed back home to get ready for Mei's party.

* * *

"Where could he be?"

Mei was pacing back and forth near Winry's beignets.

"Mei, I'm sure he's coming," Winry assured her friend. "He's just running late, that's all."

As if on cue, Prince Edward of Xerxes was announced. Mei quickly patched her makeup and entered like the 'delicate lady' she was. Winry rolled her eyes as Mei began dancing with the prince, and Yogi walked up next to her, dressed as a clown.

"Lovely night," Scar muttered, grabbing some beignets.

"Did you bring the papers?" Winry asked.

"Yes, about that, Miss Rockbell," Yogi murmured. "I'm afraid you've been outbid."

"What?"

"A fellow came by and offered to pay in cash, so we're selling the building to him. We have to go, now."

"Wait!" Winry stepped in front of Yogi and Scar, blocking their path. "Do you know how _long_ it took me to save that money?!"

"And a little woman like you, running an automail shop in Rush Valley all by herself?! Preposterous! Good _day_ , Madame!"

"Now wait just a second—" Winry grabbed at Yogi's sleeve, only to lose her balance and fall into the food. She looked at her costume and felt her eyes pricking with tears.

"All right, Winry!" Mei declared, coming over in her ballgown. "Time for the beignets—" She let out a soft gasp as she looked at her friend. "What happened?"

"I'm… not having a good night," Winry confessed. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Let's get you cleaned up." She looked over her shoulder as she helped Winry to her feet. "I'll be right back, Edward!"

Winry carefully selected a pale blue gown with a fake diamond crown as she put her hair up into a bun. She looked at herself in the mirror, but even though she was probably the prettiest girl at the ball, she felt like a rotted pumpkin. Her dream had been stripped away by a heartless real estate agent, and nothing was going to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry about Mr. Yogi," sighed Mei. "He's so cruel to just take away your dream like that."

"It's… fine. It was a stupid dream, anyway."

"No, it wasn't. My dreams are about to come true because of you. I hope you find a way to achieve yours." She took a deep breath. "Wish me luck." She headed back downstairs.

Winry stepped out onto the balcony, the wrench she always carried in her bag in her hand. She stared up at the Evening Star and shut her eyes tight.

"Please?" she whispered. After a moment, she opened her eyes to see a frog on the balcony railing. "Very funny, Evening Star." She pouted and rested her chin in her hand before glancing at the frog. "Let me guess. You want a kiss."

"That'd be nice," the frog replied. Winry screamed and stumbled backwards, right into Mei's bookshelf. Stuffed animals fell down and the frog came in.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" she yelled.

"WAIT!" the frog begged, as Winry began pelting him with stuffed animals. "You have a very strong arm, Your Highness!"

"Don't come any closer, or I'll…" threatened Winry, holding up Mei's copy of _The Frog Prince_. The frog hopped onto the dresser.

"Wait! My name is Prince Edward Elric—" Winry smashed the book onto the frog "—of Xerxes!"

"Hold on. Wait. If _you're_ Prince Edward, then _who_ is dancing with Mei downstairs?!"

"I don't know. One minute, I'm tall and charming to everybody, and the next, I'm tripping over a pair of flippers!" He glanced at the book. "I know that story…"

" _The Frog Prince_? Why am I not surprised?"

"That's the answer!"

"What is?"

"You have to kiss me!"

"Oh, _hell_ no. I am _not_ kissing a frog."

"But, you have to help me!"

"Why should I? I've had enough disappointment today, thank you very much!"

"Listen, I come from a wealthy family! If you help me get back to normal, I can help you in return! There must be _something_ you want!" Winry glanced at the wrench on the floor, then back at Edward.

"Okay, but just _one_ kiss." She shut her eyes and leaned in, making contact as more of the green plasma surrounded the two of them.

Excitedly, Ed looked down to see… he was still a frog.

" _Fan-fucking-tastic_ ," he muttered, before looking on the floor. The dress the princess had been wearing was in a heap, a slight movement within. "What the…?"

"Hey, how'd you get up there?" he heard her voice ask, as another frog came out of the dress. "And how'd I get down—" The other frog screamed as it hopped onto the dresser.

"What the fuck?!" Ed yelled.

"What did you _do_ to me?!" the frog sobbed. "I'm _green_ and I'm _slimy_!"

"It's not slime; it's mucus," Ed corrected matter-of-factly.

Note: Never try and correct Winry Rockbell when she's confused and pissed off.

"You—you—"

The frog tackled him, right out the door. After that, they struggled to get away from the partygoers, all of whom were trying to catch the party-crashing frogs until they got tangled up in balloons that floated away.

Kimblee watched it happen, a displeased expression on his face as he watched Envy run off.

"You let him _go_?!" Kimblee screeched.

"He was _gasping_ for air! He's no good to us dead!" Envy, disguised as Edward, replied.

"No, as long as we have his blood in this talisman, we're fine. Just keep it up and seduce Miss Chang."

* * *

 **Part 2 coming soon!**

 **So, what do y'all think? Let me know in the comments!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. The Swamp

**Part two is here! Hopefully, you all enjoy it!**

* * *

"VOODOO?!"

Ed cringed at Winry's tone.

"YOU'RE TELLING ME I GOT MIXED UP IN THIS MESS BECAUSE _YOU_ WENT MESSING AROUND WITH KIMBLEE AND PRIDE?!"

"In my defense, he was very charismatic!" Ed snapped. "And who the hell is Pride?!"

"The stupid shadow that follows Kimblee around! Ugh! The only reason you probably got tricked was because you're a tourist! Locals avoid him like the plague!"

"Says the girl who was willing to talk to the stars and kiss a frog to make a wish!" Winry's face fell.

"This is what I get for wishing on stars," she sighed. "The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work."

"Why would a princess have to work?" Ed asked.

"I'm not a princess. I'm a waitress and an automail mechanic."

"What the—you lied to me!"

"No! I never _said_ I was a princess!"

"No wonder the kiss didn't work! You—you were wearing a crown!"

"It was a _costume party_! You little brat!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING _LITTLE_?!"

"I'M NOT THE ONE WHO GOT US INTO THIS MESS!"

"WELL, THE JOKE'S ON YOU! _I'M BROKE_! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

" _WHAT?!_ "

Suddenly, the balloons hit a tree branch and popped, sending the two frogs into the water below. Ed sat up to see Winry with swamp grass on her head and let out a scream.

"You _said_ you were wealthy!" Winry growled, throwing the grass at him. He dodged it.

"No, my _parents_ are wealthy. They cut me off for being a—" He cut himself off when he saw a leech on his elbow. "LEECH! LEECH!"

" _You're broke_ , and you had the _balls_ to call _me_ a liar?!" Winry pulled off the leech and tossed it away, where it was eaten by a fish much larger than them.

"Where are we, anyway?"

"The swamp, idiot."

"Well, _excuse me_ , Miss Waitress-Automail-Mechanic."

"That's not my name!"

"What is it, then?"

"Winry Rockbell."

"Well, Winry, looks like we're stuck!"

"We'd better get moving."

"What? Where are we going?"

"To find a way to reverse the spell." She groaned as she looked at the waters ahead. "God, I wish I had my tools." She glanced back at Ed. "I have one but it's useless."

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL'S _THAT_ SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

"Just that you're a useless little man who can't do anything!"

"Oh, yeah? Watch _this_!"

Ed grabbed a sharp stone and carved a circle into a log. He then put his front flippers on it and there was blue lightning. Suddenly, the log turned into a raft.

"Wait, you're an _alchemist_?!"

"Of course! Xerxes is the birthplace of alchemy! Me and my brother are two of the best!"

"No, it's funny. My best friend is an alkahestrist, and it wasn't even _you_ that met her."

"You mean the girl with the black hair who was screaming at us at the party?"

"She's really sweet. You're lucky to be marrying her."

"Whatever. She's not my type."

"So you're only in it for the money? Typical. I wish she could find a _real_ prince." Winry grabbed a small stick that she could use to steer and hopped on the raft. Ed grabbed one, too, and started paddling.

"I _am_ a real prince!"

"I _mean_ a gentleman who isn't just with her for the money."

"If she wanted a gentleman, she should've gone for my brother, Alphonse. He's the gentleman."

"I doubt it. With a sarcastic little smartass like you for a brother, how could he be?"

"I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I'M FIVE FOOT TEN!"

"Damn. Napoleon complex, much?"

"Let's just get going." As they paddled, the only sound they could hear was the water and the sounds of the swamp.

"What's it like to have a lot of money?" Winry asked Ed.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, me and my grandma have to work for all our money, and that's slow going. It must be nice to have a lot of it."

"Yeah, it's nice. I like traveling and food, so having money helps me have plenty of both."

"And what about women? You must have a whole _flock_ of fangirls."

"I do, but I'm not really _interested_ in romance at the moment."

"Then what about Mei?"

"Okay, I _was_ in it for the money, but that's just because I need it for alchemy research!" He narrowed his eyes at her. "So why were _you_ so desperate for money that you were willing to kiss a guy who'd been turned into a frog?"

"That's none of your business. I was having a really bad day. I doubt even _Northern_ automail would've cheered me up."

"It must suck to be such a gearhead."

"Well, who uses a ton of money to do _alchemy research_?! Alchemy Freak!"

"SCREW YOU!"

"GET OFF THE RAFT AND SWIM IF YOU'RE GONNA BE RUDE!"

"I'M THE ONE WHO TRANSMUTED IT, GREASY GEARHEAD!"

"PIPSQUEAK ALCHEMY-OBSESSED MORON!"

Suddenly, the raft shifted as a gator rose from the depths. Both frogs yelped and fell over.

"GATOR!" screamed Ed.

"OH, DAMMIT!" Winry wailed. "WE'RE GONNA DIE!" She clung to Ed and he gripped her tightly.

"I COULDN'T HELP BUT OVERHEAR YOUR ARGUMENT!" the gator said, standing on his hind legs. "SUCH A SHAME TO HEAR LOVERS DISAGREE LIKE THAT!"

"WE'RE NOT LOVERS!" Winry and Ed yelled in unison.

"You're not?" the gator asked. "Then why are you traveling together? And in such a tender embrace?"

"We're just stuck in the same boat!" Winry sighed. She glanced down and realized she and Ed were still hugging each other. She shoved him off her and noticed his left hind leg was a silvery gray, while the rest of him was green.

 _I'll ask about that later._

"You are? What are your names?"

"What's yours?" Ed inquired.

"My name is Alex Louis Armstrong!"

"Well, Alex, I'm Edward Elric and this is Winry Rockbell."

"So what did you mean by in the same boat?"

"We're human," Winry replied. "Long story short, Alchemy Genius here got turned into a frog by a voodoo witch doctor and now—"

"Alchemy and voodoo?!" Alex gasped. "You mean like Madame Curtis does?!"

"Madame Curtis?"

"Izumi. She's a master of both alchemy and voodoo, deep within the swamp. She does transmutation and spells alike, as if they were the same thing."

"Could you take us to her?" Ed asked hopefully.

"But of course… provided the hunters aren't out!"

"You're afraid of hunters?" Winry wondered aloud.

"ANY RATIONAL CREATURE WOULD BE! THEY GUN US DOWN LIKE RATS!"

"And rats aren't rational because…?"

"The ones in this swamp steal food."

"Okay, that makes sense. Let's go."

Alex smiled (as only a gator can) and lowered his body back into the water.

"You can ride on my back," he offered. "It's bound to be safer than your raft."

"Yes, please!" Winry hopped onto Alex's back, Ed right behind her.

"Let's hope Madame Curtis can turn us back," Ed murmured.

"Yeah. Then I can go back to work and keep saving… for the rest of my life."

Ed gave her a look.

 _Rest of her life…?_

* * *

Back in Resembool, Winry's absence hadn't gone unnoticed. When her granddaughter hadn't returned home after the costume ball, Pinako had immediately called Ling, who questioned Mei about her friend. Mei had freaked out and the police were called. Everybody who had attended the party that night was questioned, with Mei confessing she'd been the last to see Winry. Envy noticed Mei's dampened mood.

"What's wrong, Princess?" he asked.

"My best friend's gone missing!" Mei replied. "I was the last one to see her, and nobody saw her leave my house… and her costume and wrench were on my floor! She'd never _willingly_ leave her wrench behind!"

"Calm down, please! I'm sure your friend is fine!"

"Yeah." Mei wiped tears from her eyes. "Winry can take care of herself. As long as she's still standing, nobody can hurt her."

Suddenly, Envy's ear grew larger. Mei gave him an odd look.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Your ear…"

"Oh!" He covered it. "Pesky mosquitoes! I need to go… for a minute!"

Envy ran off and found Kimblee, who was busily mixing a potion.

"We have a problem!"

"What is it now?"

"My ear!"

"What?!" Kimblee grabbed the talisman. "Lucky I thought to take a bit of the prince's blood beforehand. Otherwise, we'd be in deep shit."

"What do we do when _that_ runs out?!"

"Don't worry about it. Focus on seducing Miss Chang, so we can get her money."

"Got it." Kimblee poured the blood into the talisman, and Envy once again looked exactly like Edward. "See ya, Kimblee!"

After Envy left, Kimblee had a grave expression.

"Pride," he declared. The shadow behind him solidified and turned into what appeared to be a little boy.

"Yes, Kimblee?" the boy, Pride, asked.

"We have a problem. The prince has gone missing, and our plan won't work if we can't keep up our charade."

"And why should I care? This is stupid human nonsense."

"Because I still owe you, and if you help me, I can pay back my debt: souls. Every soul in Resembool. If Envy continues masquerading as the prince, he'll marry Miss Chang. Once he marries her, I'll dispose of Mayor Yao and Miss Chang, and then _I'll_ be running this town. You can have all the souls you want, and we won't work together anymore."

"Hmm… all right. What do you need me to do?"

"Go find the prince and bring him back here."

"I'll do that." He smirked and transformed back into shadows, disappearing into the night.

* * *

"Okay," Ed sighed. "I'm hungry. What is there to eat?"

"If you wish, I can stop so we can find food!" Alex suggested.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!"

Winry rolled her eyes and hopped onto a sandbank. Alex headed in one direction while Winry sat down to contemplate the fresh hell that was her life. Ed went off to search, too, feeling a little bad that he'd dragged an innocent girl into this even though he'd argued with her for more than half their little adventure so far. He spotted a firefly on top of a dandelion and the frog side of his instincts took over. He began creeping towards it.

Winry also spotted the firefly and her stomach grumbled.

"Oh, _hell_ no. I am _not_ kissing a frog and eating a bug on the same day!"

The frog side of her won out, though, as she and Ed both extended their tongues at the same time. The firefly flew up and their tongues got tangled as they knocked into each other.

"Wow!" the firefly laughed, lighting up as he flew down. "Looks like you and your boyfriend got a little heated, missy!"

"HE'S NOT MY _BOYFRIEND_!" Winry yelled, her voice inhibited by the fact that their tongues were tangled.

"I'M NOT WITH AN INSANE GEARHEAD!" Ed agreed, his voice also lisping from the tongue-tangle.

"Hold on. Let me help you."

The firefly managed to grab Ed's tongue and pulled on it hard enough to detangle them, both Winry and Ed falling backwards. Winry rubbed her tongue and made a sound of disgust before turning to the firefly.

"Sorry about that," she sighed sheepishly. "My name's Winry Rockbell. That's Edward Elric."

"Maes Hughes. It's a pleasure to meet you. What brings you to the swamp?"

"We're on our way to see Madame Curtis to see if she can turn us human again."

"Madame Curtis?"

"Yeah. What of it?" Ed asked.

"You're going the wrong way."

Ed and Winry stared at each other and groaned.

"Everybody knows Madame Curtis lives the other way! What knucklehead told you it was _this way_?"

"I found some food!" Alex announced, emerging from the bushes.

"Alex…" Winry growled. "Maes here says we're going the wrong way."

Alex got a nervous look on his face. He began stammering out an explanation, which Winry ignored and looked at Maes.

"First rule of the swamp: never take directions from a gator. I know exactly where Madame Curtis lives; she's an old friend of my grandfather, Grumman. I'm glad to help you out."

"Thank you, Mr. Hughes!" Winry gushed.

"Yeah, thanks!" Ed added.

The four set off into the swamp. Maes ended up telling them about the love of his life—the brightest firefly of all, named Gracia. According to him, he saw her almost every night, and he'd fallen in love with her over time.

"That's really sweet," Winry sighed. "My parents were like that."

"They must've been good people," Alex observed.

"They were. They always encouraged me to follow my dreams, no matter how out there they were. It's because of them that I wanted to open my own automail shop, and they'd help me run the place!"

"So what happened?" Ed asked.

"They were doctors, and they went away to help in the Ishvalan Civil War about seven years ago. They lost their lives taking care of the injured, whether they were Amestrian or Ishvalan. I hope I can be like them."

Ed had no idea what to say. He had two living, breathing parents and a younger brother, as well as his friends. From the sound of it, Winry had next to nobody.

"I'm sorry."

"It's been years. I miss them every day, but I'm going to keep trying to achieve my dream and make them proud."

Not long after, they stopped to eat, thanks to them not getting the food earlier, and a hunter captured Ed. Winry hopped away, with Maes going to try and save Ed while Alex was off getting the food. Ed used his alchemy to get out of the box he was trapped in, while one of the other hunters caught Winry. Ed celebrated until he realized they had her.

"Dammit!" he muttered. He distracted the hunters any way he could until one of them dropped the net holding the female frog.

"That's better," she sighed as the boat sped away. "Thanks, Ed."

"Don't mention it."

Winry started making some stew, with Ed sitting off to the side and watching her.

"Why does a mechanic know how to cook?" he asked.

"My granny taught me when I was little. She said it would help me save money and be more independent."

"Huh… well, is it gonna be done soon, because I'm really hungry."

"You can help me. That would make it go faster."

"Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"Chop up that mushroom."

Ed made a face but still did as he was asked. Winry then finished up the stew and all four of them ate some of it. She glanced at Ed's silvery-gray leg again.

"Hey, Ed, how come one of your legs is silvery-gray like that?" she asked.

"Oh." He shifted in his spot. "I guess that's the good thing about being a frog—I have all my limbs. As a human, I have an automail leg."

"What happened?"

"Lost it in an accident when I was about eleven. Luckily, we had a great automail mechanic named Neil Flint."

"Well, I'm sure once you marry Mei, he'll come here to keep your leg in check." Ed gave her a look.

"Nah, I think I'll have to find a new mechanic."

"I might be busy, what with trying to earn money to open my own shop."

"Is that why you were so desperate for money?"

"…yeah. That day, I'd almost bought my ideal location—the one I've been saving up for since I was a kid. Then, right before I met you, I found out somebody was bidding higher than I was for the property. I wanted money so I could try and get it back, but…"

"Instead, I tricked you and you turned into a frog."

"Exactly."

"Gracia!" Maes gasped, ruining the moment.

"She's here?!" Winry yelped.

"Yeah!" He pointed upwards. Winry and Ed both looked up to see… the Evening Star?

"…oh… she's really pretty!" Winry said quickly.

"What?! That's just a—" Ed began, before Winry elbowed him in the gut. "Oh, uh, yeah! She's really pretty!"

"We'll be together one day. Hopefully soon."

* * *

Pride narrowed his eyes as he traveled through the swamp. He needed to find the prince, and fast. He finally came across Edward, who was asleep on a bed of moss, cuddling a female frog in his sleep. The female was clinging to him for warmth, it seemed, but Pride honestly didn't care. He grabbed Ed's left leg and yanked him away.

"AH! SHIT!" Ed yelled, waking up Winry and the others, who quickly began pursuing Pride. They managed to catch up, but huge spikes erupted from the ground and went directly through the shadowy beast. Pride let out a howl of pain and dropped Ed, returning to the shadows.

"What the hell just happened?!" Winry asked Ed.

"Not bad for a simple housewife," a woman's voice said. A woman wearing a white button-up dress with black hair came out of the shadows, holding a lantern. "Now, which one of you _idiots_ has been messing around with Kimblee and his Homunculus?!"

Ed grinned sheepishly as Winry, Maes, and Alex all pointed at him.

* * *

 **Chapter two is done!**

 **Please leave a review!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	3. Falling For You

**So this hasn't really been updated due to the fact that I felt like nobody really liked it, but I've gotten four reviews for this story. That inspired me to keep going.**

* * *

"…no."

"What?!"

"Whaddaya mean, 'no'?!" Ed yelled.

"I mean, no, I can't change you back. I'm sorry."

"But—"

"Unfortunately, Kimblee is a powerful voodoo doctor _and_ alchemist. He was once a State Alchemist, in fact, until he got power-hungry and killed his commanding officers. After that, he turned to voodoo to trick people on the street, I guess, but he made a deal with a particularly powerful Homunculus named Pride."

"How do you know all this, Madame Curtis?" Maes inquired.

"I used to live in a small town called Dublith. It's not far from Resembool, so I heard about all of it. It was in the Ishvalan Civil War he went corrupt." She sighed. "After he began practicing voodoo alongside alchemy, my husband and I left Dublith for the swamp to protect ourselves."

"Do you know how they _can_ break the curse?" Alex asked.

"Hmm… I believe Edward was on the right track when it came to the kiss," she hypothesized. "Unfortunately, he didn't find a princess."

"The closest one I know of is in Creta—Princess Catherine," Ed sighed. "She's fifteen, but she's my cousin and not much of a romantic, so I doubt she'd be willing to kiss me to break a curse."

"I'll have to check." Izumi began stirring a pool that was in the corner of the room. Her husband, a hulking man by the name of Sig, was cooking dinner.

"So, once we find a princess, I'll go back to normal," Ed told Winry. "I don't know about you, though."

"Oh, don't worry about her," Izumi called. "If you go back to normal, she should, too, since you dragged her into this mess."

"Granny must be worried sick," Winry sighed. "Not to mention I've missed work two days in a row. I might not have a job when I go back."

"I'll get Mei to give you some money until you get back on your feet," Ed promised.

"Thanks, Ed. Maybe you're not so spoiled."

"And maybe you're not such a greasy gearhead."

They smiled at each other for a moment.

"You don't have to leave Amestris to find a princess!" Izumi announced happily. "There's one right in Resembool!"

"Really?!" Winry gasped, hopping over. She looked into the pool, where she saw Mei, asleep with her pet panda, Xiao Mei. "I don't understand. Mei's not a princess."

"Ah, but you forgot about Festival Amestris!"

"That's right! Ling's the king of the final parade."

"And that makes her a princess. It counts just enough, but only on the final day of the festival. At midnight on that day, you'll lose your chance because it won't count anymore."

"So I have to kiss the girl I'm supposed to marry," Ed summarized. "Okay, I can do that."

"Not so fast, little prince."

"GODDAMMIT, I'M NOT LITTLE!"

"You kids have been traveling through one of the most dangerous places in Amestris for several days. You're going to rest here before you set off back to Resembool. The final parade isn't for three days, so you have plenty of time."

"Thank you, Madame Curtis."

"You're welcome. Besides, I feel like you don't quite get who you are."

"I know who I am." He watched Winry hop up next to Sig and he had her taste the stew he was making. "I'm the prince of Xerxes and the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric. I love doing alchemy and traveling around"

"There's more to life than alchemy and travel. I learned that when I met Sig. Maybe all you need is the right girl to show you that." She tilted her head towards Winry. "The pool told me a lot about you two. You're blind to reality—that you don't need money like Miss Chang can give you. All you need is someone who can match you when it comes to passion and smack you back down to Earth when your head's too high in the clouds."

"She's not interested."

"Go get some dinner. I need to talk to Miss Rockbell anyway. There's milk—"

"NO."

"Not a fan of milk, eh? No wonder you get so pissed when people call you short."

"I'm not short. I'm five foot ten."

"That's still short in my book."

"Dammit."

* * *

Over the next couple days, now that they weren't constantly fighting, Ed and Winry actually managed to get along. Ed learned more about Winry, and he found himself feeling…strange, to say the least. It was a warm feeling that made him want to be closer to her or just listen to her talk. There was also a… _hot_ … feeling farther down, but he ignored that for the time being. His behavior didn't go unnoticed by the others around him, and Maes proceeded to tease the poor prince about the feelings he had for the mechanic. Alex simply sobbed overdramatic tears of joy, saying how _glad_ he was that Edward and Winry were finally becoming what they were meant to be—lovers and equals.

Winry, on the other hand, was beginning to fall for Edward. She pushed her feelings down and hid it better than he did. Her reasons for hiding it were different from his—she had a goal that romance wasn't a part of and he was engaged to her best friend. She knew the goal thing was flimsy at best, plus Ed's engagement to Mei wasn't even official. Still, Winry didn't want to put her heart into a hopeless cause like that, so it would be easier to ignore it and move on with her life. Besides, Ed had promised to help her out however he could once they were human again.

"Be careful," warned Izumi. "If Kimblee had a plan, then you two will likely be targeted as soon as you make it to Resembool."

"Yes, Madame Curtis!" Winry promised, hopping onto Alex's back.

"And, Ed?" The prince turned to the voodoo woman.

"Yeah?"

"Don't make the same mistake I almost made. Tell her how you feel."

"W-whatever…" Ed was blushing furiously.

"C'mon, Ed!" Winry called. "Let's get going!"

"Coming!"

* * *

The four travelers chose a steamboat heading for Resembool as their transportation. Alex hid near the massive wheel while Maes and the other two managed to find some food. Ed wandered off on his own and found a piece of string and a lost pearl earring. When he was by himself, he scratched a transmutation circle into the floor and turned the items into a frog-sized engagement ring. He turned it over in his flippers, feeling unsure about the question he wanted to ask Winry. He sighed and gazed up at Gracia.

"Oh, Gracia, what do I do?" he asked.

"About what?"

Ed yelped as he realized it was just Maes.

"What's with the ring?" Maes asked. "It's too small for a human… unless you—" The firefly's eyes lit up brighter than his end. "I _knew it_! You love Winry!"

"Shush! Do you want her to hear you?!"

"Sorry."

"I'm just worried she'll say no. I mean, I did a pretty shitty job on this ring. I'm not used to working with string and earrings."

"Well, _I'm_ sure she'll say yes. Why wouldn't she?"

"Because she thinks of me as a pretentious, idiotic, self-centered prick?"

"No, she doesn't. She doesn't love me the way I love her."

"Give it a shot. The worst she can do is say no."

"Y-you're right. I'm going to do it."

Before they could do anything else, there was screaming down the way. Alex had been discovered by passengers and the alarm had been raised. Winry and Alex were coming towards them and the four got off the boat as quickly as possible. Now that they were in Resembool, Winry took the lead because it was her home turf. The four of them could see the lights of Festival Amestris in the streets, people in masks and costumes of all kinds. Winry felt like she had when she was a little kid and her parents were alive. The festival was always her favorite time of year, but this year… this year it brought the possibility of her losing her dream.

"This place is amazing…" remarked Maes, looking at all the glitz and glamour.

"Okay, so we need to find Mei," she told the males. "She'll be near the end of the parade, since that's where she and Ling always ride on their float. Let's split up and find them."

She and Maes headed off in one direction, but Alex was grabbed by a group of drunken performers who thought he was somebody in a costume. Edward was left on his own. He let out a sigh and started making his way down the street.

* * *

"Why aren't you out on the float?" Kimblee asked Envy, who was peering outside.

"Because the stupid talisman is broken!" Envy held it up to reveal that the talisman was now empty of Edward's blood. Kimblee's eyes widened.

"Shit! You-you hide somewhere. I'll be back in five minutes!" Envy nodded and ran off. "Pride! I need you!"

"What is it this time?" Pride materialized in front of Kimblee.

"Find Edward—now! Our plan hinges on it!"

Pride disappeared and headed in the direction of where he sensed Edward's soul. He managed to grab the frog prince's leg and drag him to Kimblee, who smiled down at the prince.

"Welcome back, Prince Edward!" he chuckled.

" _You_!" Ed spat.

"Now, now, it'll all be over soon!" Kimblee did what he'd done in the first place—pricking Ed's 'finger' and using the blood to fuel the talisman. Once that was done, he locked Edward in a box and gave Envy the talisman.

"This is great!" Envy laughed. "We'll succeed for sure!"

"Just stick to the plan, you little shit. It won't fail as long as we stick to the plan."

* * *

"Any luck?"

"Sorry, no," Maes replied to Winry. "I can't find them anywhere." He looked around a bit more, and Winry did the same. Her eyes landed on a large float that had Mei and Ling at the top… _with Edward and a priest_.

"What the _hell_?!" she gasped, staring. She felt a pain in her chest as she watched, and her eyes filled with tears.

"But… but that doesn't make sense!" Maes said, pressing a leg to his forehead. "Madame Curtis said that if _he_ became human again, you would, too! There must be an explanation!" He turned to see Winry hopping away. "Oh, no…"

Maes flew upwards and looked at the float to see a box by 'Edward's' feet. There was a voice coming from the box, too—a very familiar voice spewing curses.

"Ed!" he gasped, looking in the lock. He saw Edward inside, trying desperately to free himself.

"Maes! Help me get out of this box!"

"I can't hear you! I'm going to help you out of this box!"

Maes flew into the lock and started messing with the tumblers and pins. There was a loud _click_ as it unlocked and Ed sprang out, much to Mei's shock. She screamed, alarming everybody. Kimblee looked down to see Envy chasing the frog and a firefly chasing Envy. On the street, the firefly stole the talisman from around Envy's neck, making the former servant rush into a nearby building to hide.

"So _that's_ it!" Maes marveled. He flew towards where he'd seen Winry go, not noticing that he was being followed by Pride.

"Maes?" Alex asked, watching his friend go by from his spot on a float. He saw the shadow and sacrificed his acceptance among humans in order to try and save him.

" _Winry!_ "

Winry turned to see Maes flying towards her, a talisman hanging from his body.

"We were tricked! It was somebody in disguise because of this!" He dropped it into Winry's arms. "Run! Kimblee wants it back! Hurry!" Winry nodded, the pain in her chest going away and her tears drying as she hopped away with the talisman.

Pride pinned down the firefly and Kimblee brought down his shoe on the poor creature before running into the cemetery after Winry. Alex came up and saw Maes lying there. His eyes filled with tears.

Meanwhile, Mei ran after who she thought was Edward to find Envy. She screamed and kicked him in the head, knocking him out. She breathed deeply before Ed hopped up on a chest of drawers nearby.

"Hey," he greeted her. She yelped and grabbed a book of hymns. "My name is Prince Edward Elric—" she brought down the book on his head "—of Xerxes!"

"Did you say prince?"

* * *

 **MWUH-HA-HA-HA!**

 **I MAKE YOU ALL WAIT FOR THE FOURTH INSTALLMENT!**

 **There's two chapters left now. Chapter four will be the final confrontation between Winry and Kimblee, while chapter five will be the epilogue.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
